It is easy to understand why trainer Noel Daley was happy to hear that Hambletonian winner Muscle Hill will head to the Midwest for a few weeks of racing
. Daley’s Explosive Matter has lost only four times in his career, with three of the setbacks being second-place finishes to Muscle Hill.
“That was good news for everyone out here,” Daley said, laughing. “We all think it’s a hell of a good idea. It gives everyone else a shot to get some money.”
Explosive Matter’s next chance to get some money is in Sunday’s $500,000 The Colonial at Harrah’s Chester Racetrack in Pennsylvania. The field includes the second- through fifth-place finishers behind Muscle Hill in last weekend’s $1.5 million Hambletonian: Explosive Matter, Calchips Brute, The Chancellor and Symphonic Hanover.
“He seems pretty good; he’s nice and bright,” Daley said about his colt, which is driven by Ron Pierce and owned by the Adam Victor & Son Stable. “I wasn’t look for a race right back, but the money is too good and he doesn’t have to race for another three weeks after that (in the Canadian Trotting Classic).”
Explosive Matter has won eight of 12 career races, including a division of the Historic-Dickerson Cup and the 2008 Matron Stakes, and earned $849,993. He was second to Muscle Hill in the Hambletonian, the Breeders Crown, and a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial. He has raced twice at Chester, winning both, and is 5-for-5 on five-eighth-mile tracks (like Chester).
“I’m not saying he’s unbeatable by any means; things happen,” Daley said. “But he does look the best in there. He just needs to be up to his usual self.”
As for the Hambletonian, Explosive Matter was six lengths behind Muscle Hill’s world-record-equaling 1:50.1 mile. However, Explosive Matter’s time of 1:51.2 was only one-fifth of a second behind the previous stakes record set by Glidemaster.
“It is what it is,” Daley said. “We got the trip I wanted and we weren’t good enough. That answered the question. We always knew (Muscle Hill) was very good, but I think he surprised everyone with how good he was. There was never any question he was a good horse; he’s just a very, very good horse.”
$500,000 The Colonial
1. Copy Catch
2. Explosive Matter
3. Photoforwin
4. The Chancellor
5. Keystone Activator
6. Russell Hill
7. Symphonic Hanover
8. Calchips Brute
(Harness Racing Communications)